AMBAG—Working to Make Our Communities and the Planet Healthier and Stronger
Welcome to our first in a series that highlights area organizations dedicated to collaboration, addressing carbon emissions, climate change, housing, transportation and other issues that impact all of us.
Maybe you haven’t heard of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG). But since 1968, this dynamic organization has worked diligently to provide vital planning, modeling and forecasting services for the cities in and the counties of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz.
Fusing local control and regional collaboration, the organization’s goal is to strengthen the region’s unique environment, economy and culture.
For over 20 years, Carmel Building & Design has embraced and advocated for building practices that reduce a structure’s energy demands as well as the related carbon emissions that lead to climate change. We’ve worked closely with AMBAG and support their efforts to help lower the region’s overall carbon footprint from all sources. AMBAG’s current (2022) Sustainability Program includes the following resources and projects:
- Energy efficiency resources.
- Energy and climate action planning.
- Climate adaptation planning.
- Non-profits.
- School districts.
- Education and training classes.
AMBAG is a Joint Powers Authority governed by a 24-member board of directors made up of locally elected officials appointed by their respective city council or board of supervisors. The board of directors sets policy and day-to-day operations are overseen by AMBAG’s executive director. The executive director is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the board of directors. AMBAG serves as both a federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization and Council of Governments to enable regional collaboration and problem solving. Among its many duties, AMBAG manages the regional transportation demand model and prepares regional housing, population and employment forecasts that are used in a variety of regional plans.
Membership and participation in AMBAG are voluntary on the part of its member jurisdictions. Funding is largely from state and federal transportation funds and grants as well as other project specific grants. Annual member dues are a small, but critical part of AMBAG’s funding.
For more information on AMBAG, visit www.ambag.org. You can also find them on Facebook.
